Plum Blossom Woman's eyes widened slightly.
The rain grew heavier. Through the churning moisture, a faint fragrance lingered.
"Hiss~"
A snake's hiss sounded faintly.
A figure, a few shades darker than the dim sky, slowly approached.
The green snakes on her left ear and left arm bared their fangs, which flashed a cold, white gleam through the mist.
Plum Blossom Woman narrowed her eyes slightly.
Her stare drew the other's attention.
Rain Master Concubine tilted her head to look over.
The red snakes on her right ear and right arm flicked out their scarlet tongues.
Plum Blossom Woman pressed her lips together. The gazes of all four snakes made her feel a little uneasy.
For a moment, all she could hear was the cacophony of hissing snakes.
It drowned out the wind and the rain.
She felt as though she were surrounded by snakes.
A shiver of apprehension ran through her.
The branches around her silently stretched a little farther, seeming to shield her behind clusters of blooming plum blossoms.
But after a moment's hesitation, she didn't look away.
She gazed at Rain Master Concubine's face.
Her face was jet-black, the exact opposite of Plum Blossom Woman's.
Yet she had a pair of pure-white eyes.
Rain Master Concubine didn't look away either.
Her expression was utterly calm, and Plum Blossom Woman couldn't tell what this monster was thinking.
Or what she was feeling.
The two monsters gazed at each other in silence for a while.
Suddenly, Plum Blossom Woman's lips slowly curled into a gentle smile.
She had been the one to grow curious about this monster first, so it was only right that she make the first friendly gesture.
Rain Master Concubine: ...
Watching the monster turn away after breaking eye contact and start walking on,